LD 1203, the bill that would allow slot machine facilities to operate in Biddeford and on Passamaquoddy tribal land in Washington County without a statewide referendum, was the subject Monday of a State House public hearing. Once again, both sides of the issue had a chance to weigh in on the wisdom of expanding gaming in Maine.
In the weeks prior to Monday’s hearing, held in front of the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, proponents and opponents of gaming reached out to the media to make arguments that are quickly growing as tired as they are overstated. One side says gambling would provide an economic boom, while the other says it would only bring crime, depression and the shuttering of small businesses. Neither is correct, and the truth is likely somewhere in the middle, and a whole lot less dramatic.
Still, it is a debate that seemingly knows no end, having last been held just before the November election, at which voters approved the Oxford casino in a statewide vote and the Biddeford racino project in a local measure. In just the few years preceding that vote, Mainers rejected with three gaming referendums. In 2003, voters approved the introduction of slot machines to racetracks, known as racinos, the first of which – Hollywood Slots in Bangor – opened in late 2005.
It is clear now that gaming has a future in Maine, and at a somewhat greater level than is now present. The Oxford casino will be built. There are already slot machines in Bangor, and soon so there will be in Biddeford when Scarborough Downs relocates there. Hollywood Slots is hoping to add table games through a bill that is now being considered – and would also apply to the Biddeford facility – and it is hard to see most residents objecting.
So the only matter really up for debate now is not whether the expansion of gaming is a good idea, but what the best way is to handle it so the state reaps the most benefit out of gambling with the least cost.
There are significant questions related to operating casinos in Maine. Their impact on local businesses – particularly in downtown areas – bears watching, as does the impact of additional traffic. There is certainly a correct way to develop gaming facilities and the area around them, and there are places they should go and should not go.
The Legislature should follow the wish and intent of Maine voters and pass LD 1203. Then, its members and the governor’s office should get to work finding the answers to these questions that have long gone unaddressed.
Ben Bragdon is the managing editor of Current Publishing. He can be reached at bbragdon@keepmecurrent.com or followed on Twitter.
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